Valhöll
Your social status, your deeds and achievements during your lifetime, as well as how you died, will determine where you end up after death. Ultimately, Skuld (one of the 3 Nornir) decides of your afterlife after she reads the tapestry of your life and all your deeds woven by Verðandi (her sister).
As a Norðmaðr, you write your own destiny. The length of your life is always decided by Urðr (the eldest of the 3 Nornir), at the time you are born. How you spend the time allocated to you on Miðgarðr (earth), however, and thus what deeds Verðandi will weave in the tapestry of your life, are entirely up to you. Ultimately, Skuld decides of your afterlife based on your actual accomplishments, and in the case of the various halls for soldiers, your combat record, as well as your blood line in some cases. But whether you are or will ever be a warrior is on you. And where you end up in the afterlife, is typically based on your achievements, under your direct control (with some exceptions).
You must therefore always strive to be the best at what you do to get a shot at ending up with your favorite ancestor, otherwise, you’ll just end up in Hel (not necessarily a bad place if on the good side of it, Lundar).
YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST HERMENN: A WARRIOR
You will join one of three halls:
Týr’s hall, Valaskjálf, in Valhöll
Óðinn’s hall, Glaðsheimr, in Valhöll
Freyja’s hall, Sessrúmnir, in Fólkvangr
A warrior is a man who has demonstrated exceptional feats in combat.
Yes, a man, because there never were female warriors. Simple biology really, as well as historical facts. And yes, actual battle engagement is also required to even be considered a warrior. But mere combat is not enough to be deemed a warrior. An element of exception is indeed always involved.
As Ἡράκλειτος (535-475 BCE) put it:
Out of every one hundred men,
ten shouldn’t even be there,
eighty are just targets,
nine are the real fighters,
and we are lucky to have them,
for they make the battle.
Ah, but the one, one is a warrior,
and he will bring the others back.
In other words, being a warrior requires mastery of the art of war, as well as mastery of oneself, and pretty epic achievements.
First, under the Skjǫldrinn covenant of 748, some of the absolute best warriors, whether or not they die in battle, including Úlfhéðnar and Berserkir under their command, join Týr at his hall, Valaskjálf (in Valhöll as well). Those don’t go to Glaðsheimr with Óðinn. Ever. No matter what. This is over some unresolved issues between Blendingar (hybrids, half man half jötunn) and Óðinn (who formed the world by killing one of their ancestors through deceit and dismembering him, and later plotted to drown all of their ancestors in blood), and the concern the hybrids would side with Jötnar during Ragnarøkr, not to mention seek some conflict with Óðinn. Backed up by all remaining Úlfhéðnar of course, and their Berserkir, due to the oath associated with membership in Skjǫldrinn, the ancestral military order. Í vegi jarðar. That is the way of things.
For all remaining absolute best warriors who die in battle, half go to Glaðsheimr in Valhöll with Óðinn. The other half goes to Sessrúmnir in Fólkvangr with Freyja.
YOU ARE A HERMAÐR: A SOLDIER
Soldiers (including sailors and Marines) who have still experienced combat but have not reached the level of a warrior, go to Bilskirnir, Þórr’s hall in Þrúðvangar.
In practical terms, this means that the overwhelming majority of military men will never reach one of the three warriors’ halls (Valaskjálf and Glaðsheimr in Valhöll, or Sessrúmnir in Fólkvangr). Most operators and fine United States Marines who either die in combat and/or are part of Skjǫldrinn, though, will party with Týr at Valaskjálf. All other good servicemen will raise Hel (well, not literally), with Þórr in Þrúðvangar.
Ultimately, Valhöll is for those true warriors, the absolute best of the best, who actually die in combat (and/or are part of Skjǫldrinn). It is a great incentive for any man to strive to achieve greatness in combat.
YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST KARLS OR ÞRÆLAR
The best Karls (freemen, farmers, etc…), as well as the best þrælar (workers/slaves) still end up in Ásgarðr. They however join Bilskirnir, Þórr’s hall in Þrúðvangar.
YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST IN YOUR FIELD
You will still go to Ásgarðr, but your final destination will be based on your profession. Half of the best veiðmenn (hunters) goes to Ýdalir with Ullr, and the other half goes to Þrymheimr (Skaði’s hall). The best merchants and fishermen go to Nóatún (Njörðr’s residence). If you drown, though, Ægir will claim you! The best lawmen go to Glitnir with Forseti. Læknar (doctors and healers) join Eir at her hall, Skimmer. People involved in the art of divination go to Sökkvabekkr, Sága’s hall. Essentially, if you are the best in your profession, you end up with the god associated with your field.
YOU ARE A GOOD MAN, BUT NOT ONE OF THE BEST IN YOUR FIELD
Basically, you lived an average honest life. You will end up in Hel, which is ruled by the goddess Hel. Do not panic, though, as you will go to the Lundar area (peaceful wilderness) where it is always summer, and where there’s a permanent all-you-can-eat buffet! You will also only see Hel’s beautiful half. All in all, a marked improvement from your average life on earth.
YOU ARE A BAD MAN
Criminals, níðingar, traitors, oath breakers, and liars (yes, not keeping your word is a big no-no for us Víkingar) will end up in Hel, but in the not-so-nice Niflhel area. The place is a constantly frozen swamp inhabited by demonic spirits whose only goal is to constantly chase you. A black river separates this desolate place from Narstrand, a beach of náir (corpses). There you will find a building entirely made of interwoven snakes that constantly spit their venom in the center of the hall, creating an entire pool and river of venom. The worst of the worst, namely the oath breakers and liars (told ya, we Víkingar don’t take lying lightly) bath in that river of venom for eternity. Of course, all the bad guys only see the ugly, rotten half of Hel. Never her beautiful side.